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A mother, who beat her seven-year-old son with a coat hanger, is claiming religious objections law gives her the right to discipline her children how she wants.

Kihn Par Thaing, 30, of Indianapolis was arrested in February on felony abuse and neglect charges after a teacher discovered her 7-year-old son’s injuries. Thaing is accused of beating her son with a coat hanger, leaving him with 36 bruises and red welts, reports The Daily Mail.

Her attorney, Greg Bowes, argued in court documents filed July 29 that the state shouldn’t interfere with Thaing’s right to raise her children as she deems appropriate.

He cited Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act as part of her defence, saying it gives her the right to discipline her children according to her beliefs.

Court documents cite biblical Scripture and state that a parent who ‘spares the rod, spoils the child’.

Marion County Deputy Prosecutor Matt Savage said in an August 5 response that the boy’s beating went ‘beyond these religious instructions’ and said Indiana’s compelling interest in preventing child abuse outweighs religious protections in state law.

She beat both of her children with a coat hanger, the 7-year-old more severely, and then told them to pray for forgiveness.

Child welfare officials took the children into their care in February, but it’s unclear where they are now. Bowes’ attorney and a spokeswoman for Marion County’s prosecutor said they could not comment on the children’s whereabouts.

Thaing, who faces an October 19 trial, is a refugee from Myanmar, a Southeast Asian nation also known as Burma, and was granted political asylum in the U.S.

abuse coat hanger indiana mum

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  • The Mother needs to be reminded that she is bound by the laws of the country she lives in. I find it hard to believe her religion believes in beating her children and possibly causing disability…or even death if she hit her in her important organs

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  • It wouldnt be the first time that ‘religion’ has caused much more harm than good

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  • I’m a christian too but don’t believe this Bible verse is to be used for this time. It’s written in a different culture and time when this type of discipline was totally normal. When my parents were little it was normal that even the teacher would spank them and twist their ears. I also suspect this isn’t only religious behaviour but also different perspective because of her different culture. I’ve seen and heard of many Asians hitting their children. A different way of thinking. Not only Asians btw, this week I was chatting to my 12 yr old daughter who has a new Kenian classmate, who told her that in Kenia she was not allowed to look at boys and when she did the teacher would hit her as well. Different culture, different manners and way of thinking.

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  • If your God wants you to treat your children this way then your God is not a good and loving God at all. Sounds more like evil to me.

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  • I can’t even look at the back of that boy. It must have been so painful!

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  • Poor children. This is more than excessive.

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  • I hope her children are in proper care and well looked after!

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  • Religious beliefs should never be an excuse for breaking the law. I hope she’s locked up until her children are grown.

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